CHICAGO (Reuters) - Fewer U.S. children are dying in car
crashes, with death rates falling by 43 percent from 2002 to
2011, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said
on Tuesday.

But one in three of the children who died in a car crash in
2011 was not using a seat belt or child safety seat, suggesting
many more deaths could be prevented, the CDC said. The results
were based on a study in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report.

According to the report, more than 9,000 children age 12 and
younger died in a car crash from 2002 to 2011.

"The good news is motor vehicle deaths decreased by 43
percent over the past decade for children age 12 and younger.
The tragic news is still with that decrease, more than 9,000
kids were killed on the road in this period," CDC Director
Thomas Frieden told reporters in a telephone news conference.

"Thousands of children are at risk on the road because they
are not buckled up," he said.

The study found that of the children who died between 2009
to 2010, a much higher proportion of black and Hispanic children
were not buckled, compared with white kids.

The study did not investigate why racial differences played
such a big role in seat belt use, but it did suggest
socio-economic factors may play a role.

For the study, CDC researchers analyzed data collected by
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find the
number of deaths among occupants in cars from 2002 to 2011 for
all children aged up to the age of 12.

Overall, 9,182 children died in car crashes during the
period. But deaths dropped sharply, from 2.2 deaths per 100,000
people in 2002, to 1.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2011, a 43 percent
decline.

According to the report, seat belt use increased from 88
percent in 2002 to 91 percent in 2011 among all children age 7
and under. The study also confirmed earlier findings that older
children are less likely to be wearing seat belts than younger
children.

To prevent future deaths from car crashes, Frieden said
parents should make sure their children use appropriate-sized
car seats, booster seats and seat belts on every trip.

The CDC recommends that children from birth to age 2 should
be in a rear-facing car seat.

Starting at age 2, children should be in a forward-facing
car seat until at least age 5, or when they reach the upper
weight or height limit of that seat.

Children age 5 and older should use a booster seat until the
adult seat belt fits them properly, generally when the lap belt
lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt slays across
the chest, but not the neck.

More information on proper use of child safety seats can be
found at www.safekids.org or other websites.